


Without a Conscience

by Metariolu, MightyMouse16



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Underfell (Undertale), Fluff and Angst, Gen, Motherish Toriel, Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, RP Style, Selectively Mute Frisk (Undertale), Some characters acting ooc, Strong Language, mentions of passed abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-31
Updated: 2019-02-05
Packaged: 2019-07-05 02:42:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15854583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Metariolu/pseuds/Metariolu, https://archiveofourown.org/users/MightyMouse16/pseuds/MightyMouse16
Summary: Just a normal day until we thought about how a Undertale Toriel would interact with an Underfell Sans, and then this happened.





	1. A Good Start

**Author's Note:**

> 2 years in counting and we're finally posting the first chapter of this thing! This story first started as an rp between me and MightyMouse16, but then we liked the story we made up and spruced things up a little bit. Now, we can finally share some with you guys! Feel free to leave a comment and tell us what you guys think! (^w^)/

Everyone likes a good story every now and then. Whether it’s about a real life person or just a simple fantasy, parents love to tell these stories to their children just as much as the children love to hear them. However, most of the stories told about Mt. Ebott are different. They tell stories of children that go missing at the peak. Stories of monsters living in the mountain ensures that most of them stay away. Yet, no one knows of the tales that are told under the mountain, where monsters live out the different stories that humans may never hear. These stories contain the most interesting twists, turns, and characters. The one to start out this tale, in particular, is a troublemaking, SHORT tempered, pun loving skeleton monster who doesn’t know how big of a part he’ll play in the next string of events. An argument with his brother about jokes caused him to storm off to Snowdin Forest to cool down. On the other side of this forest, he found a pair of locked double doors that looked perfect for practicing such jokes.

Sitting down with his spine against the door, his gaze was focused on the “sky” above. A gray atmosphere with thick snowflakes falling at their leisure and around his shoulders. Closing his eye-sockets, he temporarily pushed aside the silliness of the situation and just pretended for both his invisible audience, and the one watching in the bushes. “Heh, well, aren't ya aDOORable.”It was one joke after another. Pausing for a moment, he faintly heard the sound of shuffling from behind the door, almost like someone's there. Turning slightly to the left, a thought pops in. Throwing caution to the wind, three sharp knocks were given to the stone double doors, causing the sound to stop.

He knew it was a far stretch, only knocking to amuse the crazy idea that someone was actually behind the door. Least to say, he wasn’t expecting a response.

“Who's there?”

Let alone the tone used. They sounded curious, voice soft and unsure. Unlike all the others who treat him with ridicule and hate. Everyone was distrusting and on edge. It wasn’t uncommon for fights to occur out of nowhere. Slowly, his grin stretched a little wider. “Juno.”

“Juno who?” There was a hint of amusement laced in there. They knew what was coming next. "Juno I'm sitting out here?" The laughter that followed warmed his bones, a bit of pride swelling in his soul. It was music to his, well, you get it.  
“Well, I do now.” "heh heh." Little white clouds appeared and dissipated in the cold as he chuckled dryly. "What's yer name kid?” In that same tone she said, “Toriel. And who might you be?” "Sans, sans the skeleton. Heh, yer name's toriel huh? Wanna show me how ta get in?” No one in their right mind would do such a thing no matter how they sound or act, it wasn’t going to happen. The doors were locked to keep them all out, not the opposite. The momentary silence was replaced by the sound of several locks clicking and stone rubbing together. “Like this.”

There was no warning, and the change of positions was so sudden that it took Sans a minute to adjust to the fact that he can see more than just what was behind the doors. “Guess I can’t really call ya a ‘kid’.” Standing there a little longer than she should’ve, a blush was slowly showing through her pristine white fur at the same time realization struck. Stepping away quickly to reveal the sheepish, red-faced skeleton who was slightly sweating. Instead of a barrage of kicks and curses, there she stood apologizing to him. She was completely flustered as she spoke, “Oh my, I'm so sorry! I should have warned you before opening the door so suddenly! I'm sorry!” His internal shock dissipated as well as the sudden anxiety that had filled his body with dread. 

Sans got up grinning, his gold tooth glinting in the dim light of the other side of the door. He shrugged with his hands stuffed in his pockets. "Heh, I'm alright doll. Ya know..." Red eyes looked toriel's figure up and down, his grin seemed to widen. "I could show you a new meaning of love-handles." At this his and toriel's eyes met.  
Her blush deepened, “I would rather not, thank you.” She smooths out her robe before turning back towards the ruins. She smiles at him over her shoulder, “Follow me if you like.” Looking at the retreating monster, Sans looks back towards the snowy landscape, looking as if he was silently debating on something. Shrugging once again, he closed the doors and began to follow. As he followed, there was a change in scents. Near the door he could still smell the wet stone combined with the crisp cold air and the natural scent of the pine trees outside, but as they went in further he could smell a damp, rich earthy scent that slowly transformed into something sweet yet spicy.

As they walked up the staircase leading into her home, sans caught sight a cozy living room. There was a dining table with three chairs on one side of the room, a bookshelf stuffed with assorted books including history books, and a recliner that looked perfect for reading near the fireplace. There was an entrance to another room just beyond the chair, but he didn't pay much attention to it. Toriel turned towards him, “Make yourself at home. I need to check on something in the kitchen. Would you like anything to drink while you wait?”

Sans goes to a recliner and sits on it, slightly sinking into the soft furniture. Leaning back he asked, "Mustard if ya got it."

She tilts her head at the unusual choice of drink, but nods and smiles sweetly, “Okay. I will return in a moment.”

When toriel left the room, sans let his eye sockets roam over the room. It was a small living space, but it had a sort of cozy feel to it. Slowly, he let his eye sockets close, the warmth from the fireplace easing him into an easy sleep. This was different from his home. No one would ever go into one's home like he did, and no one would act like her. So open and kind. She wouldn't last long out there, especially not to HIM.

She enters the room to see Sans sleeping in the recliner. She smiles at him and covers him in a spare blanket. ‘He must have been exhausted.’ She looked up at his seemingly peaceful face and couldn't help but take note of the crack in his skull. ‘Hm? Where did he get that?’ She lifted her hand to inspect it, but didn't dare touch it, ‘It does not seem to be a fresh fracture, but it does not look like it has been properly healed either. I will have to ask him about it when he wakes up. Injuries like that are dangerous to keep.’ She stood up and began to straighten up the room as her new friend slept.

There was a pain. A sort of pain he thought went away. Grunting he tried to ignore it, moving towards the comforting warmth. Yet that pain still persisted. A boney hand went up toward the top of his skull where there was a crack that went from his temple to the middle of his skull. That annoying pain turned into fire at his touch causing him to spasm and curse loudly. His eye socket shot open when his patellas (kneecaps) hit the wooden floor.

Toriel jolted as Sans hit the floor. She whipped around to see him clutching his skull in pain, “Sans! Are you okay?!” She knelt beside him and, without thinking, pulled him close to her. “Here, let me help.” Her magic flared and gathered in her hands. She places one of her hands on his skull and begins to heal the crack while keeping him close in her arms.

A new kind of warmth engulfs him as the pain slowly ebbs away. his tightly curled hand slowly relax and his breathing becomes more even. Even when she was done, Toriel stayed there right beside him. This whole thing was strange. This was not normal, at least not to him. Sans looked up to Toriel with a confused expression. He wanted to ask her why. Why did she do this for him? She invited him into her home without the least bit of hesitation or wariness or suspicion. He was a stranger to her, and the least bit of deserving of this treatment. All he could think was why? However, he didn't mean to get an answer to his seemingly mental question.

She looked over him once more, “Are you okay?” He didn’t answer her; he just kept staring at her with the same questioning look. She sigh and smiled at him sadly, “If you are wondering why I did this, it is because it is the right thing to do.” She releases him from her embrace, “I suppose you could say that I have grown tired of senseless killing and violence. If we tried to get along, the underground might not be such a bad place to stay.” She sighed, her smile falling with her gaze, “I just wished that they had listened to me.”

a little shocked, sans just sat there and looked at her. in the next moment though he was standing up, catching the goat woman's attention as he did. "Well doll, thanks. And ya can jus' call me Red."

Toriel looked up at him and smiled, “No need to thank me, Red. I am just glad I could help.” She stands up and pulls out a bottle of mustard that she had been saving for him, “Here is the mustard you wanted. If you are hungry, there is some butterscotch-cinnamon pie in the kitchen.”

Taking the mustard bottle, Red popped it open and began drinking.'So that was what i smelled earlier.' Wordlessly red went into the kitchen to grab a slice of said pie. Once he had a slice of it, his thoughts were confirmed correct as he placed the condiment down and replaced the space with the pastry. It practically melted in his mouth, the sweet taste of butterscotch was complimented just right with the slight spice of cinnamon. It was almost as good as his mustard...ALMOST being the key word there.

Toriel smiled at him when she saw that he was enjoying the pie that she made. She picked up one of many books from the bookcase sat down in one of the chairs at the table. She stayed there and read as her new friend enjoyed his snack in the recliner.

Silence between the two of them reigned for a while. The two doing their own thing. Half the pie had been eaten by red, his last piece had mustard on it, and as soon as he finished the piece, he sat back with a contented sigh. This might have been strange at first, but this was oddly pleasant. There was no screaming, fighting, and the constant cold that was his only companion. Speaking of which, a shiver went down his spine as he looked around for a clock. Not finding one sent him to his feet with a bit of nervousness in his features,

Red's sudden movement caused Toriel to look up from her book. She tilted her head at this sudden action, “Red? Are you alright?”

Red tries to play it off with a grin showing off his gold tooth and chuckles. "Yeah doll. To tell ya the tooth, I lost tarsal of time. I have a skeleton of work to do. I'll see ya later doll." Red went back down the stairs with Toriel following a little bit behind. When the two got back to the doors, Red looked at Toriel with his grin never faltering. "Thanks again, doll fer ya know." He gestures towards where the crack used to be.

She smiles brightly at him, “You are very welcome, Red. Feel free to come back any time.”

As the door was opened and he stepped out into the snowy land, he gave her his grin before teleporting behind a nearby tree and waited for the door to close. Once it did, he slumped to the ground, the snow sucking all of the warmth he had gotten out of him. The only thing that went through his skull at that moment was 'Well shit.' How was he going to explain the missing crack to the boss.

As Toriel began cleaning around the house, her mind kept going back to her new friend. What is he like when he's around other people? Does he have siblings? How did he get that crack in his skull in the first place? As her mind began to buzz with these questions, she couldn't help but feel lonely in her little home.


	2. ...Maybe not

The door to a seemingly quaint little two story house opened,  the smell of burnt lasagna forced him to hide his distaste. "Hey boss I'm-" He didn't get to finish his sentence as he was smacked across the face with enough force that it sent him to the ground, the back of his skull hitting the wall hard. "WHERE THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN?!” It seemed as if the house shook along with Red as a furious Papyrus  loomed over him with his ever present glare and arrogant attitude. "H-heh, sorry 'bout that boss. Fell asleep again." At this, a red boot slammed against red's 'stomach' causing him to wheeze and curl against the floor in pain. "YOU LAZY PIECE OF SHIT! HOW CAN I, THE MIGHTY PAPYRUS, PUT UP WITH SUCH AN INSUFFERABLE BROTHER SUCH AS YOU?! EVEN CALLING YOU THAT SEEMS LIKE AN INSULT TO ME! WHY DID YOU EVEN COME BACK?!" This wasn't new, but it wasn't exactly welcomed either. No matter what he did, he would get yelled at and abused. Usually the pain would be good enough to be passed as a little pleasurable. Red silently mused over it probably being a defense mechanism that had developed over time to cope with the never ending abuse. 

Red didn't say anything but a low apology and with a huff of anger, his brother left. Red struggled to get up, having to lean heavily against the wall. Red didn't even have enough energy to shortcut to his room. As he was slowly trudging towards the stairs, he was caught by the collar and ordered to eat the "exquisite" lasagna his brother made. Giving a strained smile, he did so to avoid another assault from him. Sitting down, he looked at the charred mass in front of him. He chowed down on it, swallowing as much as he could without taking a breath. When he ate about half, he couldn’t do it anymore. The taste was just so foul. It was like he made it with sour milk and moldy cheese, and for the meat supplement, Red didn’t want to know. Pushing away from the table, he was a bit tense, hesitating just for a moment to see if he was allowed to leave. When there was no sign of resistance, he made it to his room, one step at a time.

Every night it never got better, and it was a torturous cycle that he was used to. However, SHE threw him off said cycle. The way she smiled at him stirred something deep inside him. And that feeling of loneliness had grown and weighed him like a stone throughout that night.

The next morning, seemed different to her. Her morning routine was thrown off course. She cleaned when she should have been roaming. The ruins and her home felt empty. As she moved through the ruins, flashes of yesterday kept appearing in her mind. His smile was simple, yet charming. His jokes sparked a joy that she hadn’t felt in a long time. The vibe he gave off made her feel safer than when she was alone. It was...odd. Before, she didn’t care about being alone and enjoyed the isolation. It wasn’t until he came along did she realize just how cold true loneliness could feel. Her feet carried her all the way to the edge of the first flower bed. It was a place she went to clear her head and sort out her emotions. As she reflected on yesterday, she couldn’t stop the smile that appeared on her face. Would it be possible for him to come back again? Would it be soon?  She couldn’t help but feel excited about the possibility of her new friend visiting her again. And if he was going to visit again, he will have a fresh baked pie waiting for him.

 

BANG! BANG! BANG! "GET UP YOU LAZY PIECE OF SHIT! GO TO YOUR POST!" A lump groaned softly under a pile of blankets. Slowly, two boney feet appeared out from under the covers onto the floor that was littered with trash, dirty clothes, and a number of dirty socks. Red rubbed his skull, that had a new bruise on the back of it, and rubbed his spine with just the tips of his phalanges, electing a small gasp of pain and a bit of pleasure. There was a large bruise on his spine near his sacrum and it stopped just below his ribs. 

Reluctantly exiting the warmth of his covers, he grabbed the usual attire. Basketball shorts, socks, slippers, and jacket. But instead of wearing just a t-shirt, he decided to wear a black turtleneck. Putting his jacket back on, pulling the hood up he was almost ready to start the day. He opened the door quietly, looking left and right, before going down stairs to grab his "coffee" for the day. Opening the fridge instantly caused him to drool. Right there in front of him was a tall bottle of mustard. Grabbing it and drinking a bit he capped it with a satisfied sigh. Now, he was ready.

After making sure the door was shut and locked, he made sure he was covered up. God forbid that the other monsters see him a little beat up and it'll be like putting a pile of gold in front of a miner. Especially those dogs, they'll be HOUNDING him.

 

Over time, Toriel found herself at the exit. While she wondered what might have changed in her absence, she was hesitant. She did not want HIM finding her, but she didn't want to stay here, either. She just stood there, feet away from the door, yet miles away from an answer.

 

The icy wind plus the thick snowfall were one hell of a combination as Red made his way to his first post near the tree line. Brushing off a pile of snow from the chair, he made himself comfortable. Well, as best as he could given the current weather conditions. His red eyelights  looked towards the direction of Toriel. His mind started drifting to the events of yesterday. She was so different than all the others. So kind, open, and happy. Her smile stayed with him as if it was burned into his memory. Yet, something seemed off. The way her eyes looked at him was of hope but hesitation. Why was she behind those doors? It was as if she was using them as a sort of shield. Though whatever she was hiding from he couldn't blame her. It was probably better in there than out here. *Straightens up with a little light bulb appears above his skull* A grin stretched his mandible as he stood up with the mustard bottle in hand. "I think i'll pay my doll a little visit." Slowly his figure disappeared with only his footsteps showing where he was. Only for that to be covered up too.

 

Her back was towards the door now. She didn't know what to do. Her mind drifted back to her skeleton friend. He seemed so laid back and yet guarded. She knows that it wasn't safe out there, but seeing him gave her hope. If he could make it out there, so could she...right? 

 

A dull thump was heard up above. Toriel looked towards the stairs and froze. She knew that she was the only one in the home, but maybe it was one of the froggits acting up again. Leaving the door, she looked back at it one time before going up the stairs. She could hear a low groan to her right. On the floor was her chair, the book she was reading near the wall by the door, and small shoes sticking up in the air. On the other side of the chair, her skeleton friend laying there, seemingly questioning the events that got him in this situation. Toriel had to silence her giggles before she could speak, “Well hello there, Red. Did you have a safe “trip”?” He did look tired in more ways than one, but she hoped that the small joke would be able to lighten his spirits, even if she wasn’t very good at it. Red let out a huff of laughter, picking himself up and patting the snow off his clothes. “Yeah, but maybe my mustard was laced with somethin’.” Toriel chuckled again, the sound warming his bones and easing his nerves. He had a bone deep feeling that all the trouble was worth it.

“Oh my goodness!” At her startled tone, he tensed up again. Did something break upon impact? Taking a look around the room nervously, seeing how some things are in disarray, there wasn’t anything broken. An apology was on the tip of his metaphorical tongue when he saw her hand raise. Instinctively, he flinched, hands curled into fists to prevent them coming to his face. Nothing happened. Cautiously, he opened an eye socket to see sad brown eyes looking at him. “Red.” He didn’t know how, but just her saying his name spelled everything out. Toriel wasn’t going to hit him. The look she has told him that she was worried about something, and his hunch was correct when she touched the top of his skull for a second time. “Did this happen when you came in?” It was the crack. She was worried about the crack. That’s why she raised her hand, to maybe heal it or take a look at it. He felt sheepish now because of how he reacted.

“U-uh yeah. Yeah, sorry about the mess doll.” That look of concern turned into light skepticism causing him to break out in a cold sweat. If she knew he was lying, she didn’t show it. Instead, she turned around and went into the kitchen. “I hope you had more than just mustard for breakfast. ”Following her into the kitchen, he was meet with the same sweet smelling scent from yesterday. The pie had just finished baking and Toriel could tell that Red was more than a little hungry. After getting a sizeable piece of the pie for both of them, they sat down at the dining room table. Silence hung in the air as they ate, but it wasn’t as relaxed as yesterday. Toriel’s mind kept ringing with questions. How did Red get in without her noticing? Where did the crack in Red’s skull really come from? It was fresh, but there was no way that falling from a chair could have caused that severe of an impact crack. But that lead her into her next question. Why did Red lie about it? Why would he keep quiet about something that hurt him? Was he embarrassed about it? Was someone making him keep quiet? Did he need help but didn’t know how to ask for it? Did he not trust her? The last question hurt her inside, but she understood if that was the case. They only met yesterday, and most monsters wouldn’t act as friendly as she did without wanting something. But this made her worry more. Something outside of this house was hurting the only friend she ever really had, and she was just sitting in here baking pies and acting like nothing is wrong. She knew she couldn’t ask Red to stay here with her and she knew the reason why it was a bad idea for her to leave the ruins, but she couldn’t help but feel a growing sadness when she thought of her friend dying one day and she would have never known. The pie on her plate stood untouched. She didn’t feel like eating anymore.

It was uncomfortable with the silence. Red looked at Toriel, to her plate, and then to his own. Where was a good pun when he needed it? “Hey doll, do you know what bone a dog won’t eat?” Toriel looked up, her lips twitching into a knowing smile. “What Red?” Red’s grin widened. “A trombone.” It was just like a chemical reaction, once she started laughing, he did too. In between her giggles, Toriel managed to look him dead in the face and say, “You are such a bonehead.” A pause. A snort was all that it took for the both of them to laugh again. It carried on like this for a good twenty minutes with both of them  exchanging jokes and puns.

“Toriel.” The seriousness in his tone sobered her up completely, giving him her full attention. “I’m gonna tibia honest with ya.” His gaze was fixated on her. “I like ya. Yer different than all the others, but I need to know if ya got any skeletons in yer closet.” Toriel felt as if the jokes were a sore attempt at easing the mood, but she knew what this was about. “We all have our own secrets.” She straightened up, looking him with a neutral face. In this moment, it didn’t feel like they were friendly. It was like she was sitting on her throne talking to her subject. That wasn’t her anymore, and she didn’t like this. “Red, I am not like the others. I will not harm you, degrade you, or despise you. Ask me anything and I will try my best to answer.” “Why are you here?” It was straight to the point, leaving her little room to change or dodge the subject.  She took a breath to calm herself, “To hide. From what, I cannot tell you.” It was like a double edge knife, her answer just made him more curious. Placing his skull in his hand, he looked at her with a raised brow bone. “Really? Not even a little more?” She remained silent. “Okay, so let me just take a wild guess. In the entire underground, there are two monsters that look alike. The king and queen. Rumor has it that she left and died because she lost two brats. A human and a monster. No one questioned it, but that doesn’t stop the more imaginative monsters to keep on talking.” He noticed how her eyes flashed to a burgundy for just a moment at the mention of the kids. “Now, some time later, I jus’ so happen to meet a cute gal like yerself, all alone here. Ya know, I’m not really one ta judge, but that sounds jus’ a tad, oh I don’t know, odd.” Out of all the reactions that could happen, he didn’t expect her to chuckle lowly in such a way it sent a shiver down his spine.

“‘Not one to judge’ huh? For some reason, I believe that is a very obscure way to reveal yourself.” It was so tense, it felt as they were in a standoff to see which one brake first. Something was bubbling inside both of them. It was so familiar, warming up their bodies, making them ready for anything. “Hehehe, I love it when a girl gets feisty.” She chuckled, “Feisty. No how I would have described it.” “Don’t fibula. I saw that flash in yer eyes. C’mon. Been a while since a fight yeah? Jus’ one round.” Something snapped. She slammed her hands against the table causing everything to jump, “NO! I came here to get away from that! To hide from all of the violence out there. Monsters going mad with anger and killing those just because they can. I got tired of it. The dust, the suffering, the hopelessness, I didn’t want that! I never wanted that!” She sat back down, tears of frustration in her eyes, “I never wanted that. I never wanted to hurt anyone. But I had to when I was out there. Even at one point in my life, I think I enjoyed the feeling of it. But not anymore. I refuse to go back. Back to the way I was. Back to him.” She hid her face in her hands and whispered, “Sorry for my outburst. I...was overwhelmed is all.” 

Red’s eyesockets were wide and blank. At this time, he knew that he fucked up just a little bit. “No.” Standing up, he walked out, but not before saying. “No bones ‘bout this eh doll?” He left with a quiet ‘pop!’, leaving Toriel in her own thoughts. She sat there quietly, the fire place providing the only sound in the room. She reflected on herself. She’s done it again. She drove another soul away with her outburst. Just the mere mention of fighting someone she cared about was enough to send her in a slight frenzy. What does he think of her now? Does he see her as a kind friend, or the ruthless queen of the underground she never asked to be? “It’s no use,” she sobbed, “I’ll just be alone again.” She sobbed to herself, hoping that one day she won’t be alone anymore. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (before rereading)  
> MightMouse16: I guess you can say they’ve got good chemistry based on their reactions!  
> Metariolu: ...  
> (after rereading)  
> Metariolu: or not  
> MightMouse16: ...
> 
> Yeah added a bit of drama. Just to clearify on a few things, Toriel is taller than Red standing at 5'8" to his 5'5". Toriel is also not a pure Undertale Toriel or Underfell Toriel. Things will make more sense in later chapters, so until then happy reading! (^w^)/


	3. Woof

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~last week~  
> Metariolu: Okay, we ready to put up the new chapter?  
> MightyMouse16: Yeah let's do it!  
> Life: *smirks in the corner* Oh really?

The snow was a bit worse than it usually was. Red was trudging through the snow, getting pushed back every once in awhile by a strong gust of wind. Hardly anyone was out today, but that didn't mean everyone was inside either. As he was passing one of the sentry stations, there was a low growl as a black furred foot came into his vision. Red barely dodged it by kneeling down. With a snap of his fingers bones appeared behind him, aimed right at the person that attacked. "Eh, long time no see doggo." Doggo glared at him with a burning dog biscuit in the corner of his mouth. Twin swords in his hands. "If ya don't mind, be a good dog and get the fuck outta my way." This made Doggo growl again. "You've been coming around here more often than usual ya fucki'n bonebag. I wanna know why." Red just shrugged, as he pulled out a cigar and lit it with a spare lighter. He puffed some smoke out before speaking. " 'ere's some advice fer ya. Keep yer snout out of my business." Doggo didn't move and clanked his swords together, making red chuckle. "Let me ASH you this." Red let out another puff of smoke before grinning at doggo with his lone glowing red eye. "You wanna have a GOOD time?”

 

Toriel started to quiet down her sobs as a new feeling crept over her. She looked towards the door in puzzlement. For some strange reason, she felt like something was calling to her. An instinct that only woke up when someone close to her was in danger. “What is this?” she whispered, “Why do I feel like this? This feeling should have faded years ago. The only reason why it’s back means-!” She knew in an instant what made her instincts flare up. It was Red. Something must have happened when he teleported and know might need her help. A gilt of new found DETERMINATION shone in her brown eyes. If hiding now meant losing another friend forever, then to heck with it. Let HIM find her. Let the underground find her. As long as she can save someone, anyone, then let the world know that the queen of the monsters was roaming once again. She hurried down the stairs to the exit, took a deep breath, and open the doors for hopefully the last time. She was greeted by a blast of cold air and an armada of snowflakes as she trudged through the ankle -deep snow. She couldn’t remember the last she felt cold, but the feeling was invigorating to say the least. She didn’t have long to relish in the feeling before she sensed someone stalking nearby. Turning her head as little as possible, she spotted two pairs of eyes watching her every move. Without warning, she gathered her magic in her hand and shot a ball of fire in their direction as a warning. To no surprise, they dodged it, jumping out into the open to reveal that they were two dog monsters, both wielding axes. Toriel stood her ground and gathered her magic again, “I do not know who you are, but if you do not leave me be, I will be forced to use further action.” The dogs laughed at her warning and sprinted towards her anyway. Toriel sighed as her hands became engulfed in flames, “I do not wish to harm you, but you have left me no choice.” She charged at them with only one thought on her mind, ‘I must find Red before he gets hurt. Forgive me, but I cannot allow you two to slow me down.”

 

There was strange shift in the air, a new kind of magic buzzing around Red. The cigar bud fizzled when it made contact with the snowy ground. Doggo was gone for now. Bones were everywhere as well as fallen trees. His head turned to the direction of the ruins. Somehow, the air wasn't as chilly, but just a tad warm. It was familiar, and it took him a minute until his eye sockets widened.

 

The dogs yelped and quickly made their retreat. Their once spotless, black, and well-tailored clothes were now in shreds, chard, and spotted in drying blood and ash. Their opponent stood tall and, even though they fought their hardest, was without a scratch, bruise, or even dirt on her person. Even though Toriel should have felt proud that she fought off her attackers, she looked down at her hands sadly, “I hate when I’m forced to do that. Why didn't they just listen to me?”

 

There was the sound of a stick breaking Alerting Toriel that she wasn't alone.

 

Her instincts and senses still sharpened, she turned quickly as her magic flared up again, ready to blast the offender sky high. “Who is there!?”

 

"Relax sweetheart. It's me." Red's voice cut through the thick snowfall as his figure became more visible. Toriel smiled in relief, but upon further inspection her smile looked strained. Red's clothes were a little tattered with some blood on them here and there, but what didn't change was the ever present grin and his red eyelights holding that same mischievous look in them.

 

“Goodness, Red. You startled me,” she sighed and let her smile give way to worry, “Are you alright? Your clothes are tattered and bloody.” She walked up to him, her magic shifting to healing if it was needed.

 

"Hehe, snow problem doll. I just had to throw a dog a few bones." He shrugs.

 

She giggles slightly nervous as her magic dissipated completely, “Likewise.” She looks around carefully, “Some things don't change, huh?” 

 

Red looks around warily and a slight hardness to his eyelights. "Yeah." His answer was a quiet one. Taking her hand he grinned. "Let's take a shortcut." 

 

Caught unaware by the sudden change of scenery, Toriel staggers for a moment and holds onto a nearby wall for support. It takes all of her strength not to fall from dizziness.

 

Red takes Toriel's hands and steadies her. "Easy there doll. Don't go fallin' fer me yet." He leads her to a worn out couch.

 

She carefully takes a seat while giggling at his pun. After a little while she spoke, “Where are we?”

 

"Home." Red leaves for a moment and comes back with a bottle of mustard and some water. Handing the glass to Toriel, and she thanks him quietly.

 

 ‘Oh, so this is where he lives,’ she thought as she looked around the room. It looked like a comfortable place to live, but it seemed a bit too big for just one person . She wanted to ask if he had siblings or family, but decided against it and took a sip of water instead, just in case it was something that stirred bad memories.

 

Red sat beside her with a tired sigh. Popping the cap, he took a long swig of the favored condiment.

They fell into a comfortable silence and stared at the tv, not really sure what was on, but not really paying attention. Suddenly, there was an angry knock on the door causing both of them to jump. Toriel looked at the door, ‘Who on earth could that be?’

 

Red looked nervously at the door before taking Tori's hand and teleporting to Red's room. Toriel was confused and tried to ask red what was going on, but red cut her off. "Toriel, stay here." With that, Red shut the door. She could hear his footsteps fade as he hurried to answer the door.

 

Red tried to catch his breath before opening the door with a grin. "Hey, welcome back B-" CRACK! Red was sent back against a wall due to being slapped in the face. Toriel heard the crash downstairs and wanted to leave the room to see if Red was okay, but something made her hesitate. ‘ _ If you leave now, you’ll just get him in trouble _ ,’ the voice chastised. While she wanted to help, the voice was right. Revealing herself too soon could make everything worse. Instead, she carefully opened the door slightly to see just what she and her friend was up against. If things go too far, she will step in.

 

Toriel could hear another person in the house yelling obscene things that would make a nun blush. "YOU USELESS CUNT! WHERE THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN?!" Red sat up a little bit while holding his cheek as a new crack was forming. Red couldn't form words for a few moments. "I-I was at my post moving to another one when a dog wanted a bone hehe." There was another loud crack, then silence reigned.

 

It took all her strength to stay planted in her spot. The small voice in her head was screaming at her to dust the monster hurting Red, but the other side of her knew that nothing good would come from fighting blind. Through the crack in the door, she could at least see that it was another skeleton hurting her friend. She stayed quiet and listened closely, maybe that will give her the information she needed to fight them properly.

 

The other skeleton was making his way up the stairs mumbling under his breath. It looked like he was heading to Red's room as weak protests of him going there were made.  Anger turned to panic as she scrambled for a place to hide, but there wasn’t many places she could go. She doubted they wouldn’t be able to see a giant lump under the covers or an unusually large pile of socks. She saw a closet and thought, ‘That’s my only chance!’. She climbed inside the cluttered closet somehow making no sound as she moved. As soon she closed the door to the closet, the door to the room slammed open. She closed her eyes, held her breath, and hoped that everything will be okay.

 

In walked the skeleton and Red. All protests were cut off at the sight of his room. "WHY THE HELL WERE YOU TELLING ME NOT TO COME IN HERE?!" Another hit on the head. Red winced but smiled in a nervous relief. "Sorry boss, I didn't want you to see my room this way." With another growl, the "boss" left.

 

Toriel stayed still a moment longer before opening the closet door again. Her eyes were glued on the new cracks in Red’s skull. She walked up to him and rested her hand on his skull, careful to avoid any spots that could cause him pain. She had a sad look in her eyes as she whispered to him, “Is this how you are always treated?” Red didn't say a word and looked away from her. Her hands began to light with healing magic, but it died out as soon as it was lit. Her eyes trailed back to the door, ‘Would he notice if the cracks were gone?’

 

Red took her hands and pushed them to her chest. "Don't"

 

She gave him a shallow nod, “Alright.” Her eyes locked on the door, her expression stern. She could only think, ‘Who would ever treat their own family like this!?’ That voice whispered, ‘ _ Why don’t we put that arrogant, lanky skeleton in his place? Doesn’t he deserve it after what he did? Wouldn’t be surprised if he was the only behind the first set of cracks, so why don’t we just stop this now? _ ” For once, she almost felt like listening to it.

 

"Hey." Toriel turned to Red and was shocked at the look he gave her. "Don't say nothin' when you know nothin'."

 

Toriel couldn’t help but feel a little hurt from Red’s words, but knew it was not her place to question his judgement. After all, she wasn’t the queen anymore. “If you say so, Red.”

 

Meanwhile at the local bar, Grillby's, several dogs were gathered around the table. One was licking his wounds after his encounter with a small skeleton, two others were trying to treat their burns, and the rest simply had no idea how their pack mates got the wounds in the first place. One dog let out an angry growl before throwing one of his twin swords at a wall, “I can't believe that fucking bag of bones beat me!” Lesser Dog took a sip of his drink before speaking, “Ah, so that’s what happened. Don’t you always get your ass kicked by Sans, Doggo?” Doggo snarled at him, “Shut the fuck up!” “Well, at least that’s one question answered,” Greater Dog mused before his eyes trail over to the dog couple, “What I want to know is what happened to you guys.” Dogamy, the male of the couple, whimpered as his mate, Dogaressa, tightened his bandages, “We picked a fight with a goat monster that could use fire magic.” Most of the dogs stayed silent trying to see if the couple was telling a joke. When they realized they weren’t, they began to howl with laughter. Greater Dog was the first to catch his breath, “You guys picked a fight with the king!? Wow, and I thought Lesser was the dumbest!” He barely managed to dodge the female’s battle axe before she growled out, “That wasn't the king! It was a female goat monster that was wandering around in Snowdin Forest.” Doggo was about to sip his drink before he tilted his head in puzzlement, “Wait a minute, how is that right? The only other female goat monster that could use fire magic was the Queen, but she's been missing for years now.” Silence hung in the air as the dogs stared at one another, gears in their mind turning faster every passing second. “ ...we should tell the captain.” The dogs nodded in unison and sprinted towards Waterfall.

 


	4. The Hunt Begins

Toriel suddenly had a ominous feeling as she was tidying up Red's room as he showered. Before he went in he allowed her to borrow some clothing so that her's could be washed with his after their fights.

 

She peered out into the hallway, but saw nothing. She looked over the room to see if something was wrong, but everything was cleaned and right where she put it. Yet, somehow this strange feeling just wouldn't go away.

 

The shower stopped and Red just lead his head against the wall, his arms on each side. The pain had subsided...for now.

He felt a little guilty for being a little cold to her, but she didn't know about boss.

 

Red’s thoughts were interrupted by a sudden knock on the door downstairs. Toriel heard this too and stayed quiet to listen. A strange feeling told her that something might be wrong.

 

Thundering footsteps went down stairs to open the door just as Red opened the bathroom door. "CAPTAIN UNDYNE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE AT THE HOUSE OF THE MIGHTY PAPYRUS?!"

 

She stood there imposingly as she removed her helmet. She took a moment to brush her hair away from her eye before speaking, “Well, I'm here to give you new orders,” she glances around before continuing, “A little birdy told me that the Queen may have been spotted in this area. The King’s put us in charge of tracking her down and even offered a reward on information or her. Catch her, and you'll be even better than the royal guard.” She suddenly smirks and forms a challenging glint in her eye, “Unless I find her first that is.”

 

"NONSENSE! I SHALL FIND HER FIRST THEN I WILL BE BETTER THAN YOU CAPTAIN!"  The two of them bickered for a while. upstairs, Red’s facial expression blanched.

Undyne was the first to stop bickering by shouting, “Well, you won't be able to find her staying here.” Helmet tucked away under her arm, she turned on her heel and calling back, “See you around, punk!” And with that, she took off back towards Waterfall, her eyes set on finding the runaway queen.

 

Red quickly got dressed and went into his room, quietly closing the door. He saw Tori by the door and began to panic. "Ya need ta hide. Now." Red began to go to his closet to make space.

 

“Red? What's going on?” she whispered to him while walking closer. She was starting to worry about him and wondered what got him worked up so suddenly.

 

There was just enough space. Red promptly shoved her in the closet, and made things just as it usually is. He got into bed and closed his sockets just as the door slammed open.

She froze up, now knowing the reason why Red wanted her to hide so quickly. Instinct took over as she slowed her breathing to make as little sound as possible as she listened through the closet door.

 

"GET UP YOU LAZY BAG OF DUST! WE HAVE A MISSION!" Red jolted "awake" and looked at him, "Sure thing boss." The two were leaving and Red casted the closet a look before pulling his hood over his head.

 

Once they were out of the room, Toriel carefully stepped out of the closet, making no sound as she moved. She sighed, thinking, 'That was too close. I wonder what mission is so important to just barge in on some one like that.’ She stood there for a moment longer before looking back at the room. ‘Shame that I have to clean the room again, but I have nothing better to do.’ And with that, she started her task all over.

 

"So, uh, boss. What're we doin'?" Red asked as he walked alongside his brother on a random snowy path. Papyrus didn't look at him as he responded. "OUR MISSION IS TO FIND THE QUEEN ON KING ASGORE'S ORDERS. CAPTAIN UNDYNE WAS NOTIFIED OF HER APPEARANCE." Red wasn't interested but he had a feeling. "DOGAMY AND DOGARESSA FOUGHT HER NEAR THE EXIT OF THE RUINS. THIS IS WHERE WE ARE HEADED." You know that feeling that Red had? Yeah, no. That little nagging feeling just turned into a force that rivaled his brother's hit to his skull. He KNEW that the symbol on her robes was familiar. His eye lights trailed to his brother's armor, and then to the silhouette of the double doors of the ruins.... Well shit....

 

Meanwhile, back at the bone bro's house, Toriel was just absentmindedly wandering through the house. She had finished cleaning Red’s room and thought she have a look around. She took care not to disturb much and stayed away from windows and what she could assume was the taller skeleton's room. But as she wondered close to the door, she heard voices that sounded like those dog monsters she encountered. Dogamy spoke first, “Are you sure we shouldn't check by the ruins again, love? That's where we saw her last time.” His mate snarled, “You and I both know there is NO way we can fight her head-on. Not to mention that she probably moved by now. And with those skeletons on the look for her too, we can just kiss the reward goodbye.” Dogamy  whimpered, “But if we don't try, the captain is gonna dust us!” Dogaressa sighed, “ Fine. Just stay calm, dear. We'll find her. Let's check the ruins again, then we go to waterfall entrance, okay?” Dogamy nodded before his mate spoke again, “Good. Now let's go before the king himself starts getting antsy.” The sounds of their footsteps fade away, leaving a very scared Toriel. 'Oh no! How did he find out so quickly? I knew that this would happen sooner or later, but I did not think it would be THIS soon! What do I do?' She began to pace the floor, desperately trying to think out a way out of this mess.

 

The bone bros have entered the ruins and was looking up stairs. Red felt a little unease as he walked through the familiar settings. It still smelled like that pie she made for him and burnt wood. The little home seemed weird without it and....her... Red stayed out of his brother's way, but made himself look busy. Red went up the stairs to the first door on his left. When he opened it up, it looked like a kid's room. Toys were everywhere as well as a lot of shoes. (Creepy) However, the bed was made, like it was waiting . He closed the door to move on to the next one.

 This was her room. He could tell as soon as he walked in. Everything was neat and it just had her scent everywhere. It was calming. On his left was a desk with an open book. Curiously, he looked at it, and after a moment he chuckled. "Huh, you're an OPEN BOOK eh doll?." Red decided to pocket the book and then leave. Just as he was about to shut the door. he looked around. Surely, she can't wear his clothes all the time, but it would hide her scent better. He shook his skull and sighed in aggravation. He'll talk to her about it tonight. As he was making his way down the stairs, his brother looked at him. "DID YOU FIND ANYTHING?" Red shook his head. "All of the rooms are vacant." Papyrus cursed, but both froze when they heard a noise. They looked to the staircase that lead to the exit. In red's mind he thought 'She wouldn't' There was another sound and that feeling just dropped to his femurs as his brother made his descent. The two were rounding the corner. Paps with a two bones in hand while red just leaned against the wall. On his brother's mark they would charge. 3.......2.......1.......

 With a battle cry papyrus jumped out and was met with Dogarressa, both forcing their weapons on each other. And red used his magic to block an attack from behind on his brother from Dogamy. Both of his eye lights went out at the couple. The two of them fought Toriel, and gave them all those burns.

   "WHAT THE HELL  ARE YOU TWO DOING HERE?!" Paps pushed the dog back and kept his stood his ground. the couple grouped back together to glare at the bone bros. "We came here looking for the queen."  "oh yeah? don't waste yer time, she ain't in there." the couple didn't believe him and pushed past them. Red tsked and made to catch up with his brother. "What's yer rush boss?" Paps was taking long strides. "DON'T YOU SEE YOU IDIOT?! OTHERS ARE IN ON THE HUNT! WE MUST HURRY AND FIND THE BITCH FIRST!" At his words the door were thrown open letting the icy wind echo throughout the hall.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Both: *huffing after dealing with life*  
> MightyMouse16: Is it save to post yet?  
> Metariolu: I think so. *presses add chapter button*  
> ~present~  
> Yeah, sorry about the wait, but we had some things we needed to deal with. I hope the two chapters will be enough to satisfy you guys until next time. Thank you for your patience! (^w^)/


	5. Cold Trail

        Toriel was once again in Red's room, in deep thought. She was debating on whether or not to tell Red the whole truth on who she really was. She chuckled quietly as she thought, ‘Not that I have much choice in the matter. Even if I don't tell him, he was close to  figuring it out on his own,’ she sighed, ‘I have no choice. If there is anyway out of this, I must tell him tonight.’ With that thought, she heard the front door open downstairs. She hides in the closet, just in case the other skeleton wanted to barge into the room again.

 

        The sound of footsteps causes Toriel to hold in a breath and wait with anticipation as the door opened and closed. The person's shadow came closer to the closet doors and Toriel closed her eyes, not seeing who opened it. She jumped as cold skeletal hands touched her head gently. "It's okay sweetheart. It's just me." Toriel opened her brown eyes to look up into familiar red ones and that same grin that she's suddenly become accustomed to. Toriel stood up with the help of the smaller skeleton, stepping out and dragging a few pairs of shirts and shorts with her. Red just looked at her dressed in his shorts and spare t-shirts and couldn't help but chuckle. For some reason, he really liked her in his clothes. With a slight red blush, he cleared his non existent throat and looked up at her. Toriel was about to speak but Red held up his hand. "I know."

 

         She chuckled slightly, “I knew you would figure it out eventually.” She sat down on Red's bed and stared at the floor for a moment before saying, “If you do not mind me asking, how many people are going to be after me?”

 

        Red shrugged. "Seeing as the reward for you rivals with the King's wealth, I would say just about everyone in the Underground." Red leaned against the wall and took out a cigar and lit it, pulling in a deep breath. He held it for a moment before a steady stream was blown out from his nose cavity and mouth. "I found out you were the Queen just about the time when you were fighting the dog couple. No one else besides the king can use fire magic, and when I went back to your home with the boss..." Red pulled out an off white book. "I found dis."

 

She tenses up slightly and thanks him as she takes the book back, “You did not read it, did you?”

 

Red shrugged. "I didn't take ya to be a PUN-y girl."

 

        Toriel erupted into a fit of giggles, “I guess I still have a lot to learn.” A part of her was relieved that it was her pun book that she left on the table, and not her REAL diary. That book was where she stored her darkest memories and where her long dormant colors really showed. Now that would be something that she really didn't want to bring up with Red. After she was done giggling and thinking about her other book, she smelled something new in the air. It smelled like someone was trying to make a pasta dish and was failing hard. “Um, Red?” she sniffs the air again, “Is something burning?”

 

        Red's face went from grinning to a look of dread in a heartbeat. "Oh shit." Just as he said that there was a shrill scream from downstairs. "GET YOUR BONE SHRIVELING ASS DOWNSTAIRS IMMEDIATELY FOR MY AMAZING LASAGNA!"  Red looked like he was about to get on his knees and start praying. Instead, he took a long drag of his cigar and didn't let out the smoke until it was till the very end. The smoke came out slowly, and even when it was thrown in the trash, red stood there for a moment before sighing. "A'ight doll. Wish me luck." Red gave her a grin before leaving. Toriel was a little perplexed and it wasn't until after about an hour that she found out why Red acted like that.

 

         When Red came back to the room, it looked as though he fought a battle for three days straight, and lost. He didn't have wounds, but she could tell that whatever he ate was the equivalent to poison. “Dear stars, Red! What happened?” It looked like he was going to dust on the spot, but she knew that no amount of healing magic was enough help with whatever he ate.

 

        Red just went to his bed and collapsed face first. Toriel slowly made her way there and crawled onto the bed with him, reaching out to place a furry hand on his shoulder. "Red?" Her tone was gentle and it made him look at her. "Doll, some things are just worse than death." If she had seen what the boss had made, it looked like something not even the Devil himself would make the sinners eat. There was literal glass in that shit. And Red thanked his lucky stars that he's gotten considerably faster at teleporting in the last few years thanks to his boss wanting to make sure he "ate" his creations.

 

        Seeing that there wasn't much Toriel could do for Red at this point, she simply laid next to him, hoping that this action would offer some comfort at least. It didn't take long for both of them drifted into sleep. 

        However, things were not as peaceful over in Waterfall. Captain Undyne restlessly scoured the area turning over every rock, listening to every echo flower, interrogating anyone one she came across, and yet she could still find no trace of the runaway Queen. Growling in frustration, she threw one of her spears at a rock and turned it into rubble. Undyne snarled, “THIS DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE!! THERE'S NO WAY THERE CAN'T BE ANY TRACE OF THE QUEEN IF SHE MOVED THROUGH WATERFALL!!” She paced back and forth, trying to figure out how the Queen could have moved out of Snowdin without leaving a trail or help from the Riverman. Then she stopped and thought, 'What if the Queen DIDN'T come to Waterfall at all? Maybe she's still hiding somewhere in Snowdin? But if no one has seen her out in the open, where else would she hide?' She gets an idea and calls the only other person that might be closer to the Queen than he may think.

 

        Papyrus was in the kitchen cleaning up when his cell phone began to ring. Huffing in frustration, he stomped over to the cell phone that laid in the table and gruffly answered it. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT?" On the other line, Undyne was walking and talking at the same time. Whatever she had told to Papyrus had the skeleton shaking with fury as his hold on the phone tightened and when the line went dead, the knife in his left hand was plunged deep into the table with only the hilt and an 1/16 of the knife tip showing. His gaze was directed to the top of the stairs, but he didn't move. He let out a hiss of breath and went back to wash the dishes furiously all the while mumbling to himself. "STUPID TRASHBAG." "STUPID FISH STICKS." "HE WOULDN'T DO THAT. NOT EVEN HE WOULD BE THAT LOW."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MightyMouse16: HOLY SH!# THIS TOOK SO LONG TO MAKE! WHY IS THIS SO DIFFICULT!? 
> 
> Metariolu: *drinking 5 gallons of tea, 14 cups of coffee, and a butterscotch cinnamon pie* Cause we need something stronger!


	6. Getting warmer...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Both MightyMouse16 and Metariolu* WE LIVE!!!

        The next day, Toriel woke up with Red in her arms. She looked at him and thought, 'I guess he must have done that in his sleep.' She smiles at the peaceful figure in her arms and carefully untangled from him so she could change clothes. She sighed as she looked at the clothes in the closet. While she appreciated Red for letting her use his clothes, because of their different sizes his clothes were both too small and too tight. So much in fact that it seemed as if ready to tear if she moved too much. When she finally managed to squeeze into his clothes after about an hour of struggle, she walked over to Red to talk about the problem before any of his clothes tear. Gently nudging his cheekbone, she whispered, “Red? Red, wake up. We have a bit of a problem.”

 

 

        Red groaned and pushed her hand away to turn over in the warmth of the covers. Toriel just gently nudged him again, calling his name quietly. Red groaned and opened his eye sockets, sitting up slightly and looking up at her groggily. "What's up doll?"

 

 

        She felt guilty for waking up Red, but she wasn't sure how long she would still be able to breath. “I am sorry to wake you up, but I need a favor,” she gestured to the clothes she was wearing, “I am not sure I will be able to wear your clothes for much longer. They are just too small and tight for me. I want to go home for a moment to get my own clothes, but I will need your help. If we leave now, we may be able to be back before your brother wakes up.”

 

 

        At some point  Red fell back asleep in that statement only to awaken to Toriel's gentle yet persistent nudging. He groaned and waved her hand away. "Nah doll. 's too early." Red closed his eye sockets and turned the other way, his spine to her. Toriel puffed her cheeks and let it out with a pout that Red couldn't see. She was getting bothered slightly by how tight the clothes were. It didn't help that the shirt kept rolling up her stomach to just beneath her chest, and the basketball shorts she wore were really tight. It felt as if they would tear apart with the wrong move. Toriel bent over slightly, putting one hand on the bed to support her  weight while she used the other one to nudge Red, but she didn't remove it then. "Please Red, your clothes are very small for someone my size." Toriel was in no way fat, but she was more like....well 'gifted' to say the least. Red's response was a snore. How that was possible, I don't know. Toriel let her hand slide down his shoulder blade, nails hitting a few ribs and then trailing softly down the spine to rest on the bed in front of her. This caused Red to jump out of his SKIN and he was standing straight as a stick. It was weird to see him without his hoodie. Without it, Toriel could see some of his build. His bones were thicker than that of a human if she could recall right. Red looked at her with blown out eyelights and nearly his whole skull was glowing red, literally. "Goddamn doll! If ya wanted me up, just push me why don'tcha?!" he seemed to be very flustered, making Toriel curious.

 

 

        Toriel lowered her head in apology, “I'm sorry, Red. I didn't want to hurt you by pushing you out of the bed, but I didn't think that that would bother you so much.” She looked up at him and tilted her head in a cute way as she asked, “Why is that?” As far as she knew, she didn’t apply enough pressure to hurt him, so why such a violent reaction.

 

 

        Red put a skeletal hand up to his face and looked away. 'Oh stars she so fuckin' adorable and clueless.' Red was shaking from the effort of not having a nosebleed right then and there. His soul pulsed in a way he was familiar with and he shook his head to rid it of those thoughts. "Look doll, just know that that's a no go. Alright?"

 

 

        Toriel nodded, “Alright.” She carefully tries to stand up straight, but, with how tight the clothes were, she had a hard time moving, let alone keeping the shirt from riding up a little further than normal.

 

 

        Red just grabbed his hoodie and sneakers before returning to Toriel about to say something but froze. There shouldn't be anything wrong with standing, but there was...at least in this current moment. Toriel was standing up with some trouble as she held one of his white shirts from rolling up her stomach and his shorts........*mentally slapping himself in the face because stars he knew he was staring* With an awkward clearing of his 'throat' he held out a hand to her. "C'mon, let's take a shortcut." Toriel smiled slightly, obviously relieved at the prospect of having clothes that actually fit. But before Red left he did a little trick he always pulled off at this time of day/night. With that done, they poofed. Just a minute or two later Papyrus opened the door suddenly but quietly. There was a look of distaste on his face at the state Red's room was in, but at the sight of a somewhat small lump curled under the covers, he just shut the door with a smirk. "Stupid bitch." were muttered quietly, but smugly.

 

 

        Red and Toriel appeared in the living room of Toriel's house and she let's go of his hand. Toriel smiles at him, “Thank you so much for this, Red. I'll try not to be gone too long. Please wait here.” Red nodded and sat down in the recliner while Toriel went to her room to get changed.  Meanwhile back at Waterfall, Undyne was a little more than furious after hanging up on a phone call with Papyrus. She growled, hurling a spear at a nearby boulder, “If that little waste of space isn't hiding her, WHO IS!?!?” She paced back and forth until she came up with an idea. “I guess I'll just start from square one.” She jumped down from her perch and broke into a run, making a beeline  for the Ruins. Unaware of the coming danger, Toriel just finished changing into her normal clothes. She couldn’t help but sigh in relief, “This feels so much better.” She folded the clothes Red gave her to wear and just left it on her bed, not really thinking about the consequences before returning to the living room. She smiles at him as she enters the room, “Thank you again for letting me change, Red.”

 

         *he just shrugged* Snow kay doll. Let's head back. Paps is probably getting up and he'll be bangin' on tha do-" Red went quiet when there was a distant sound of clanking. Like metal. Red's eye sockets narrowed as the sound was getting closer. Toriel's wrist was gripped tightly as he ran to the kitchen. He practically threw open a door and pushed her in following suit. Just as he shut the door, there was a loud crash. The sound of wood hitting things and breaking them. Toriel stiffened at the sound, her hands squeezing the top of Red's shoulders.

 

 

        After Undyne was done with her little rampage, her eyes scanned the room, but it didn't look like anyone had been here for quite some time. She looked in the living room to see the fire going, though she didn't pay much attention to it, since it simply meant that the queen was still alive somewhere. She took one glance in the kitchen and left it alone since she would have heard something move in there a long time ago. Luckily for Red and Toriel, she didn't even bother to look around the living room anymore and walked towards Toriel's bedroom, giving them enough time to escape without using Red’s teleport. She opened the bedroom door and looked around for only a few seconds. She almost walked out, until she saw something laying on the bed. She walked over to them and saw that they were clothes. A dirty white shirt and black basketball shorts, both smelling like musk and mustard. Undyne gave a cruel, knowing smile, “There is only one person I know that would wear this trash.” She put the clothes back on the bed and started to walk out of the house, a plan quickly forming in her head, “Now that I know where she is, it’s time we caught our little runaway queen.”

 

 

        When Toriel and Red were finally back at the house, they rested for a bit and tried to calm down from the way-to-close encounter with Undyne. That is, until  an ear-piercing siren went off in the town. Red, knowing that something may be wrong, told Toriel to hide in his room until he got back. As he and his brother walked outside, they joined everyone in the center of Snowdin, where they saw Undyne standing on a box. Lesser dog looked around and sniffed the air one last time before turning to Undyne, “Looks like everyone’s here, boss.” She nodded and locked eyes with the crowd, “Listen, I’ll get straight to the point. After careful investigation, we now know that there is only one place the queen is hiding. And that place is right here, in Snowdin. Knowing this fact, we have blocked all entry in and out of the town.” Most monsters began to murmur, but Undyne continued to speak, “I know this fact doesn’t bother a few of you, but know this…,” her eye seemed to linger on Red, “until we find the queen, no one will be allowed to leave city limits. If you are seen outside of Snowdin, you will be put to death. Right. Where. You. Stand. With that said, the reward placed on her return has been doubled. Find her, and it’s all yours. DISMISSED!” As the square began to clear out, Red and Papyrus started to walk away. Until Undyne called them over. Once they were face to face with the royal guard captain, Undyne sighed, shaking her head in disappointment, “Papyrus, you are a special case. Listen, though I hate to do this to one of my best students, I can’t help but notice how you have gathered almost NO information in this case. So, I have a little challenge for you…,” she looked at Papyrus with a serious look in her eye, “if you find and capture her first, you get the reward as promised, but if you can’t pull it off...you will no longer be a part of the Royal Guard.” She hopped off the box and walked away, letting that information sink in.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait you guys! A lot of stuff happened that we had to take care of, so the story had to be put on hold for a bit. No, this doesn't mean that we'll leave it incomplete or place it on hiatus. It just means that updates from now on will be a bit inconsistent. All that out of the way, big thanks to the people who have stuck with us thus far and I hope that the future chapters will be to your liking! (^w^)/


	7. Fixing Mistakes

         Red stood back a considerable distance as papyrus took his rage out on the trees deep within the forest. WIth each blow that he dished out, there was a sort of after shock after it. Snow would go flying with the amount of force he put behind it. There were even chunks of rock flying, making Red teleport out of the way. There was a feeling in Red that was akin to the one he held for his brother. Red has never prayed before to anything because what was the point? But he might consider it now, not for him, but for someone else.

 

 

        Further away, it was a sunny day. A shadow was cast over a drop off. It was pretty small compared to others, but it quickly disappeared down into the hole that was there. There wasn’t a sound as the shadow dropped, and surprisingly enough when the shadow’s owner landed. There was a pause before a timid voice spoke. “Hey, are you okay?”

 

 

They didn't say anything, but nodded. They didn’t move to talk to the voice, but began to sign with their hands. - _ Who are you?- _

 

(Meanwhile back in Snowdin…)

 

 

“Damn it all!” Red’s fist connected with the wall of his room harshly, the sound of the contact made Toriel jump.

 

 

 “Stars, Red! You scared me.” She takes a moment to regain her breath before looking at him concerned. “Red, what is wrong?”

 

 

        “Oh how about the fact that Undyne pushed us in a fuckin’ corner, and she got my bro into this too!” Red turned to her with his red eye ablaze. “Tell me why he’s looking for you. How did all this shit start?!” Toriel’s gaze dropped as her hands went to her lap, rubbing them together.

 

 

        A little tense under his glare, she spoke softly, “It is a very long story, but I suppose I do owe it to you since you have hid me for so long.” She takes a deep breath before she begins to speak again, “As you already know, I was once the queen of the underground. My children, Chara and Asriel, were killed by the humans and Asgore declared war on them. What many don’t know is what he is willing to sacrifice to do it,” her eyes moves from her hands to the floor, “He began collecting SOULs to break the barrier, that much is true, but all of the humans that he has killed were children. Little naïve children who climbed this forsaken mountain for one reason or another. I couldn’t relive that heartache. I couldn’t just sit there a watch as more children that looked like my Chara were slaughtered for just breathing. And I couldn’t kill a monster without imagining what my Asriel had to go through with the humans. So, I left the castle and begun to hide them or help them in any way I could so that neither humans nor monsters would get hurt.” She takes in a shuddering breath and her eyes narrow, “Asgore, knowing what I was doing, sent his knights to find me and bring me back. I knew that if they had gotten their hands on me, there would be no way get out again. I hid in the RUINS and enchanted the door so that those inside could get out but only I could get back in if it closed, knowing that this would be the only place where I and the children would stay safe.” Her eyes relaxed again, but smiles sadly, “But, they didn’t want to stay in that small place. Most of them left, knowing the dangers that were ahead, and as far as I know, they have died at the hands of that man. I know I have failed in protecting them. I know that what I have done trapped so many lives down here and that because of this I should be put to death, but as long as just one child gets away, I will gladly give up my life for theirs.” 

 

 

        The glow of red’s eye dimmed until it was in its natural state once again. He seemed to draw back towards the wall more. Something seemed to be troubling him but he brushed it off. When he spoke next, it was soft in tone like he was trying to show her he understood. “We all make mistakes. We think that we have good intentions when we act, but…” Toriel waited for him to finish the sentence, but he never did.

 

 

        She sighed. Wheels in her head turned until her mind seemed to settle on one answer, “Well, I think that this is one mistake that I can fix,” she looked at Red and spoke in a caring tone, “I’m tired of running and do not wish to hide anymore. So, why not let your brother catch me?” 

 

 

        Red looked at her with a semi shocked expression. “Are ya serious doll?” Toriel nodded. “I heard your brother raving and roaming about downstairs about Undyne threatening him with his position.” She chuckled lightly. “I wonder where he learned his vocabulary. “ She sends him a playful look making Red grin. “Tha one an’ only.”

 

 

        Toriel chuckles, “But like I have said, I do not want to run anymore. If your brother catches me, he can keep his job, Asgore will get what he wants, and no one will know you were hiding me,” she smiles at him, “Everyone will be a bit happier.” 

 

 

        “What ‘bout you?” Asgore, he didn’t know much about the guy personally in the past, but he did know that you shouldn’t fuck with him. The guy had a bad temper. “What do you mean?” Toriel wore a puzzled look on her face. “I mean, what’s gonna happen to ya?” Despite his question, Red could think of a few things that could happen that he wouldn’t put past the guy.

 

 

        She shrugged, “I do not know. Believe it or not, he hasn’t hurt me in the past, but he might just try to lock me away in the castle.” Her eyes narrow once again and she started to shiver slightly, “But, if others find out what I have done, they might force him to put me to death, or…,” her voice fell silent as she shivered more as she remembers the day she left him. Both of them yelling at each other and Asgore swearing to the stars that if she left he was going to teach her a lesson when she got back. She shook her head to try and rebury the memory, “Let’s just say, it will not be a pleasant experience when I get back.”

 

 

        “Not to be an asshole, but no one cares.” “What.” Toriel had a frown upon her face. Red just shrugged. “No one really cared ‘bout tha kids unless gold was involved. Everyone was out to get them, just like they’re afta you. So, when do you wanna get ‘caught’?” “Soon I -” “Nah.” Red interrupted her. “I think now is a good time.” *The two vanished out of the room and were outside on a trail.* “Here we go.” Red pulled out a cigar as Toriel looked around. “I don’t recognized thi- AHHHH!” With a smack to her backside, Toriel was sent forwards down a hill towards multiple ropes. Toriel tried to stop herself but didn’t have any grip in the snow. Ropes caught her and lets just say one of them found the scene quite enjoyable. “Red! You sly, conniving, little-” Red busted out laughing at her rant as her face got more flushed. “I don’t know doll, i kinda like this look. A lot.” Toriel was at the bottom of the hill trapped in ropes that tightened with each move she made. The robe she wore rode up a bit on her legs, her arms were above her head and wrapped down to her forearms, and some ropes were in between her breasts, her legs resting slightly on the ground. “How could you find this even remotely funny?!” Toriel gave up on moving to glare at red. Red’s shoulders shook as he spoke. “I don’t know. I just find it HUMERUS.”

 

 

        Toriel tried keep the pout on her face, but it was kind of hard to  hide the smile forming on her face because of the pun and Red’s laughter. She let out a sigh when she could speak without laughing, “Well, if you are done laughing at me, could you please get your brother? I’m not sure if this would be a good time to dawdle.” She moved a little by mistake causing the ropes to tighten again, the area around her chest slowly tightening with each breath, “It is safe to say that I will not be going anywhere anytime soon.” 

 

 

        Red teleported back to the house. He couldn’t really leave her out there long in case someone else found her. Opening the door a bone attack just barely missed him. To give you an idea of how close, there was a thin line going from the corner of his mouth up his cheekbone and stopped where his ear would be. A sweat instantly formed on his brow. “Heh, ICE to see you too boss.” “WHERE THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN?” Papyrus was still aggravated but has calmed down since then. Red formed a small grin. “I MUSTARD up some good news fer ya.” “HUMPH! LIKE WHAT?” Papyrus was taking a sip of his water when Red spoke. “Oh nothin’ jus’ the queen caught in one of yer traps.” The sound of glass shattering was the only warning he had before the collar of his hoodie was grabbed, cutting him off mid breath. His hands instantly flew up to the offending limb as cold wind wrapped around him at one. The temperature backlash was harsh enough to rattle his bones a little bit. For once in a very long time his brother was actually smiling, and he couldn't be more GRATE FULL in that moment. IF there is a god out there that actually gave a shit, he hoped that they would grant MERCY on her.

 

 

        Toriel watched as Red teleported away. She signed and tried to slow her breathing to keep the ropes from tightening too quickly as she waited for his return. She had hoped the plan would go well, but unfortunately, things don’t always go according to plan. She heard footsteps in the snow, though, they sounded like they were walking in a metal suit rather than boots. She stayed deathly still as she turned her head as best as she could without the ropes tightening too fast again. Pass the tree line separating the clearing where the trap was and the main path, she saw the outline of what appeared to be a knight. Her breathed was almost nonexistent as she saw the knight begin to look around them, until their eyes came to rest on her. Without a moment of hesitation from either of them, the knight threw a spear at Toriel, forcing her to dodge while the ropes tightened around her again, stealing her breath away from the pressure. Despite the restriction and the forced shallowing of her breathing, Toriel managed to bring her arms down and formed a fireball to defend herself. The knight laughed as they began to make their way towards the captured queen, “Well, what do you know. The bonehead’s traps really do work.” Toriel could tell that they were smirking under their helmet, “Out of all the possibilities, never thought that the first thing he would catch would be royalty.” Toriel, consciousness fleeing from the lack of air, glared at the knight as she spoke, “Who are you?” The knight chuckled before removing their helmet, “Undyne, captain of the Royal Guard. And just to let you know, that spear was for hurting the dog couple. Since they were too weak to fight you, they kept whining to me about it,” she dropped her helmet and summoned a new spear, “But enough about that, I’m going to need you to come with me.” Toriel summoned more fireballs to defend herself, but, because of how tight the ropes got from her movement, couldn’t breathe very well. Burning the ropes weren’t even an option anymore because of all the moisture they absorbed from the surrounding snow. Toriel’s consciousness began to slip away, one thought passing through her mind, “Red, for the love of stars, please get here soon.” But by the time that thought had passed, Undyne was already rushing to the weakend queen.

        Papyrus didn’t stop running and Red was holding onto the arm that was holding him up. The snowy ground pass beneath him like a sea of white with the occasional twig or rock breaking up the seemingly perfect surface. Suddenly, it all stopped. The running, the wind blowing snowflakes into his clothes making them damp, the jostling of his bones just...stopped. Raising his head up looking down the hill, his eye sockets widened. The ropes were burned in some parts and torn in others. ‘Did she leave?’ Red was brought out of his reverie when he was dropped into the sea of white, rolling down the hill and not stopping until he ran into one of the metal poles that held the trap up. Looking up to the top of the hill was Papyrus. He didn’t move nor say anything.

 

        Red opened his mouth to say something but stopped. “I NEVER LIKED YOUR JOKES. ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY WERE CRUDE AND CONTINUOUSLY SPILLING OUT OF THAT VILE MOUTH OF YOURS. I DID NOT LIKE THEM THEN, AND CERTAINLY NOT NOW.” In the next moment Papyrus was sprinting down the hill, summoning two long bones. He jumped the last bit and brought himself down upon Sans. The force of the impact made snow fly everywhere as if an explosion had occurred. Red had teleported away from the spot just a bit away near a cluster of trees, his eye sockets blown up wide. His hand was up as if it was to make him stay for a moment. “Boss! She really was here!” “LIAR!” Papyrus lunged towards him bringing one bone down that was blocked by Red’s arms, but the other one in his left hand hit him in the ribs, sending him tumbling again. Rolling to a stop with a pile of snow on his side, Red tried to lift himself up, but a red boot collided with his sternum, knocking the breath out of him, and he landed on his back. Papyrus kept him down by pressing the heel of his boot onto the part of his sternum where he was kicked, pressing him down with his weight. Raising one of the bones over his head, he had his aim on Red’s head. Red closed his eyes just as Papyrus was swinging the bone down, but it never made contact. To the left of both of them was Dogarresa and Dogamy. “LEAVE YOU MONGRELS. I’M BUSY.” Dogamy growled and stepped up. “The captain wants to see you.” The boot presses harder on Red without him looking away. “Now.” They all seemed to be caught in a staring match before the boot is slowly removed from Red’s sternum. He sat up and coughed as his boss walked away, pushing past the dog couple. He was given just a glance before they too left. 

 

         The walk had a tense silence with the only sound being crunching snow underneath their feet.. Red was at the back of the group with a bit of a limp, his gaze never leaving  Papyrus’ back. “There you are!” Undyne came into view with a large, toothy smile on her face. Two guards of the canine unit were sent away, but not before one of them met the eyes of Red. Doggo glared at Red for a moment before leaving. Red directed his gaze back to his brother and Undyne. Paps looked a bit anxious as Undyne walked up to him, but that melted into confusion when she patted his shoulder a couple of times, making the snow that accumulated on his form to fall. “Never thought that your traps would work! Good going bonehead!” Papyrus was confused for a moment before he looked over to Red who avoided his gaze. He then straightened up and smiled arrogantly, pointing his thumb at himself. “WAS THERE ANY DOUBT MY CAPTAIN?” He smiled in a sly way while Undyne laughed. “Gotta hand it to ya punk, should’ve given ya more credit.” Undyne begins to steer him towards Grillby’s for a few CELERYbratory drinks. Briefly, the bros made eye contact, but nothing was said. Red stood there looking at the ground before pulling out a cigar. The tip of it where it was lit was the only bright thing in the area. “I really hope this doesn’t go up in SMOKE.”

 

        Meanwhile, the royal guards and their escort were nearing the castle gate. Toriel’s eyes locked with the walls of her former home, worried about what her ex-husband had in store for her. Her hands were still bound, but the rope that had been coiling her chest had thankfully been removed. Did nothing to ease her worry, since she had used up most of her magic trying to fight off Undyne just long enough for Red and his brother to get there. As they entered the castle walls, she sighed and thought, “No going back now. Remember, you caused this mess and got Red’s brother in trouble. You’re doing this for them.” As they walked through a golden hall leading to the throne room, Toriel noticed something hidden in the shadows of the pillars. It looked to be a small black scale that seemed to have been there for a while, judging by the amount of dust that was on it. She didn’t have time to inspect it further as they came ever closer to the throne room. When they did enter the throne room, the guards forced Toriel to kneel at the foot of the throne before they spoke, “Sire, we have brought the queen to you, as ordered.” Asgore turned to look at them, his eyes locking with his wife for a moment before addressing the guard, “Very good. Who found her first?” The guard straightened a bit before replying, “One of our trainees, actually. He is a skeleton named Papyrus, stationed in Snowdin.” Asgore chuckled at the thought of a trainee doing what properly trained knight could not. “ Very well. I will send his reward in the coming night. Let him know that he has been appointed Supreme Captain of the Royal Guard. You are dismissed.” The guards bowed before leaving, leaving Toriel and Asgore alone. A tense silence fell over them. Toriel’s eyes fell to the flower bed beneath them and trembled.  Asgore couldn’t help but smirk before he spoke again, “Well, now that he is gone…,” Asgore knelt and put his hand on Toriel’s chin, forcing her to lock eyes with him. His tone of voice masked the anger that he was truly feeling, “we have A LOT to talk about.” Toriel couldn’t stop the tears that were gathering in the side of her eyes and shivered harder, knowing that whatever he’s going to do to her will not be pleasant. But back at the Ruins, a human child had just finished solving another puzzle. Dusting off their shorts, they signed to their new flower friend, _ -You would think that at least one person would have left instructions on how to solve these things!- _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Metariolu: *reads ending*  
> MightyMouse16: *giggling* And this is why you don't skip the tu-TORIEL!  
> Metariolu: *holds up "Help me" sign*
> 
> Sorry for the long wait guys. We were stuck on how to edit this one for the longest time. Hope you enjoy! (^w^)/


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